Various officials are currently meeting with the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) to establish a salvage operation for the stranded trawler on Clifton’s First Beach. A source familiar with the maritime industry believes it’s quite unlikely that the vessel wouldn’t have known what it was doing, and that fog would not have played a role in the grounding.

The source voiced concern at the fact that on face value – after having himself studied the visible navigational equipment aboard the vessel – that the accident should never have happened.

According to the source, the fog should not have played a role, and it was strange that port authorities hadn’t alerted the captain of the vessel’s proximity to the shore.

The source went on to suggest that the incident might be a “purposeful grounding” because there were no reported engine issues. The delay from authorities in the issuing of the exact reasons why the trawler ran aground doesn’t help either:

That trawler has enough hitech marine electronics onboard to know exactly its position within min 5 meters; there has to be another reason here worth looking into this vessel running aground. These trawlers operate in deep sea conditions, they know exactly where they are at any given moment on the high seas, don’t think fog played a role here as there is fog at sea around the world. Worth looking into this situation. This trawler needs to be removed as soon as possible, they most probably going to remove the fuel, the ammonia on board is for the refrigeration, this is a long line tuna boat its sole purpose is tuna.

I’ve studied the various antenna systems, seen on the photos, the master of the vessel is in direct contact with his office in Japan as the satcomms antenna is clearly visible, the entire vessel gets written off, with its load any negotiations between the owners\insurers\agents\salvage operators is solely for the removal of the vessel, removing the fuel 1st and maybe its load poses additional problems on its existing location in relation to the weather\tidal currents, its going to become difficult to remove this vessel, as it going to get pushed further inshore with the bed suction\sand building up along its keel, the ammonia is a environmental risk factor to residents\sea life in the immediate area, the ammonia is located in tanks on board or cylinders, the fuel tanks are under the bottom and that is where the risk is going to be coming from, although it is aground on a sandbank the concern is going to be more what is beneath the sand\seabed, that is the risk factors here, the longer it stays aground the more it buries itself into the sea bed.

2oceansVibe spoke with two chemical engineers about the risks posed by any potential leaks from the substances aboard the vessel, notably the ammonia and the fuel.

Lev Rushforth explained:

Ammonia (liquid) is used as a refrigerant for fishing trawlers’ massive freezers. At atmospheric conditions it vapourises at -33 degree C, which would be fine if it wasn’t submerged in water. Ammonia is highly soluble in water and forms ammonium and hydroxide. This is more dangerous in stagnant water masses (dams and reservoirs) and should pose a much smaller risk in the sea. Although the risk is there and depending on the mass discharged and how quickly the current can spread and dilute any of the hydroxide, there might be damage to fish.

Gaseous ammonia exposure to the surrounding houses could also cause heavy irritation and human health risks depending on concentrations.

I assume that where the boat is currently stranded, the concentrations would be minimal in the surrounding air and despite mild irritations, it does not pose a serious health threat to humans as it is in the open and gas will dilute very quickly.

The damage done by fuel spillage is highly variable depending on the fuel. I assume that the fuel on a trawler would mostly be diesel. Since diesel is a refined oil product, the damage is less about oil sticking to feathers etcetera, and more about the poisonous nature of these lighter fuels. The damage tends to start with the smaller organisms and then spreads right up the food chain as the large amounts of organisms with oil in their tissues are consumed by higher order predators. Diesel is much less viscous than crude which will also make it close to impossible to remove it of the surface of the water, especially with such choppy seas and the shallow water. Conventional methods of surface removal will not work.

The damage to fish is extensive: red blood cell damage, decrease in eggshell thickness, organ damage etcetera. The poisons in the diesel do get broken down and weathered quite quickly in the sea, so the damage will also be very dependent on the amount of diesel spilt and the rate at which that diesel is diluted by the sea currents into the surrounding water.

Reay Dicks agreed that the greatest risk posed was likely to come from the ammonia. The City of Cape Town’s Gregg Oelofse confirmed the following to 2oceansVibe earlier:

Salvage operations continue and plans are being put in place to pull the vessel off the beach.

The vessel has not suffered any damage as yet and as such pollution risk at this time is very low. We will continue to monitor the situation.

As in all cases, SAMSA is investigating how the stranding took place.

At the time of writing this article, 2oceansVibe had not been able to get an official response from SAMSA.

The Eihatsu Maru has grounded in such a way that it has made itself nearly impossible to tow from the beach. Authorities have also aborted a plan to attach a metal plate to her that would have been specifically designed for towing her.

SAMSA’s job is not going to get any easier as the swell starts to increase during the course of the week, peaking at more than five meters on the weekend.

You can watch the salvage operation as it unfolds live by following this LINK.

the master of this vessel knew exactly where he was his intensions are clear based on the position of the trawler at Clifton beach with the following that needs to be investigated,
1:the position of the trawler when he put out his distress call?
2:what time did cape town radio\port authority recieve the distress call?
3:the time the nsri was contacted and there response time to the location of this trawler?
based on viewing of photos and the surrounding coastline,the master of this vessel knew exactly where he was,if you look at the location on a marine chart,in marine terms “Foul Ground!,it means he knew that when a rescue operation is in operation he is going to be within 100-50metres inshore,and there wont be anytime to go port-starboard-from forward-to-reverse he needs 30minutes,which he doesnt have because of the rocks(boulders),at Clifton beach as it stands now dead astern,a rock outcrop,port-starboard rocks,he grounded his vessel in a very tight area,his crew is safe,this vessel was grounded on purpose,the position at Clifton beach and quotations that the vessel was 50meters offshore and it slowly drifted,means the master of this vessel had no option but to go forward,its speed versus 50metre length-versus time,this needs to be investigated urgently by the maritime authorities,any vessel experiencing engine\rudder\steerage related problems wont be sitting on the beach it will be on the coastline cape point to table bay coastline.it needs to be investigated urgently,and the master of the vessel with other registered vessel officers arrested under south African maritime law or international law.
1:the endangering of the crew of this vessel
2:the endangering of the environment and possibly the residents in the immediate area.
it will be a problem getting this trawler off the beach based on the water depth at high tide,low tide,the present listing of the vessel,the large tug doesn’t have enough draught clearance to come inclose.the longer the towline the more prone to breaking\snap as steel cable stretches\the shorter the length the less stress on the towline.

http://URL FWJ

Mariner Thai Web board.translation,
Engines of fishing boats and generators can still use it. I can not recover it from the boat aground at your own pace. Tucker was asked to tow the ship to the rescue. And will try to salvage the ship again in the water up to the next. State officials are concerned about water pollution from fishing vessels Eihatsu Maru, which is possible because of fuel on board and 90 tons of ammonia is carried on board.
this is very interesting from this this site,and its take on the current situation.

International Distress Frequencies,and related Frequencies as follows apply to all vessels at sea,etc.except skiboats,inshore trawlers,which only use 27Mhz-29Mhz as means of Radio Communications.
VHF-Marine-156.800 INTERNATIONAL DISTRESS AND CALLING CHAN 16
this is standard procedure in all emergencies for vessels in distress.
On HF Marine Trawlers such as the Eihatsu Maru,will have HF-International Radio Communications equipment Fitted
2182 USB ZSC – CAPE TOWN RADIO MF DISTRESS & CALLING
any vessel coming into table bay,will be in radio contact with Cape Town Radio in any event,trawlers such as the Eihatsu Maru,are fitted with GMDSS\Global Marine Distress Safety System,radio communications equipment,Cape Town Radio Knows The position of all vessels along the South African coastline,as most all vessels have A.I.S.\Automatic Identification System (AIS) is an automatic tracking system used on ships and by Vessel traffic services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels by electronically exchanging data with other nearby ships and AIS Base stations. AIS information supplements marine radar, which continues to be the primary method of collision avoidance\Information provided by AIS equipment, such as unique identification, position, course, and speed, can be displayed on a screen or an ECDIS. AIS is intended to assist a vessel’s watch standing officers and allow maritime authorities to track and monitor vessel movements. AIS integrates a standardized VHF transceiver with a positioning system such as a LORAN-C or GPS receiver, with other electronic navigation sensors, such as a gyro compass or rate of turn indicator. Vessels fitted with AIS transceivers and transponders can be tracked by AIS base stations located along coast lines internationally,
A standard software program-,Ship Plotter displays complete information about ships that are within VHF using the Universal Automatic Identification System (AIS),by observing the eihatsu maru vast antenna array present,it gives an indication of what marine electronics is fitted,it has Radar which is an effective means of detecting all vessels\coastline\in a vessels immediate position\collision avoidance\.
The trawler bridge will have marine electronics equipment fitted for navigation,via electronic chart plotters\fish finders\depth finders\etc,the sensors are located on the underside of the hull\keel of such vessels\these deep sea trawlers,have a vast amount of electronics equipment on board,to aid the vessel in navigation/fishing operations/collision/with other vessels avoidance/weather satellite receiving equipment,mainly the N.O.A.A. APT Polar orbiting satellites,these are used to detect sea temperatures in the immediate area\region of such trawlers in fishing operations\,the question is with all the hi tech marine electronics fitted,how is it possible for this trawler/vessel to run aground in an area surrounded by rocks,which is clearly visible low tide\Clifton beach coastline\in any event the equipment fitted ,would show exactly the position of this vessel\in relation to the surrounding coastline,in addition it will indicate what the water depth is at all times\if the electronics equipment is faulty,this vessel would be aground in any event if coming into table bay,as the master of this vessel would have no idea of his position at all,this incident needs to be thoroughly investigated,and the circumstances of why was this vessel so close inshore especially in fog conditions\in an event of a incompetent person at the bridge\helm of this vessel,the amount of marine electronics equipment fitted to such deep sea trawlers\would in any event show this vessels position in a manner that is visual on the bridge\helm.
there cannot be no excuse by the officers\master of this vessel\as to why this vessel ran aground\why didn’t this vessel run aground,along the coastline,and why in particular Clifton coastline,if it was perceived by the helmsman that the vessel,was approaching table bay port\in the thick fog,then the only logical reasoning is that there could be faulty equipment on the bridge?\or total ignorance of the helmsman\master of this vessel\officers of the severe situation this vessel was in,if no1 was present on the bridge at the time period this vessel would be aground along the coastline in any event,pumping out the fuel is an easy operation in marine salvage terms\removing quoted 50 tons of frozen tuna\fish isn’t an easy operation,especially where the trawler is located\there isn’t enough water lift at this location,as can be clearly seen at low tide\and at high tide,so the salvage company who are world renowned professional marine salvage operators do have a problem,which isn’t going to be an easy solution of removing this trawler,as there isn’t much space in marine terms around the vessel\trawler because of the rocks\visible\and not visible\the modifications being done to the trawler will allow the salvage operators to exert a greater pulling effort from the tug\to the vessel\taking into account that this vessel is D.W.T. at around 450 tons,with 90 tons estimated fuel\50 tons of frozen tuna\and the rest of the vessels tonnage\equipment\it is noted that the vessel\trawler has operational power\generators on-board\lighting etc\,doing some marine /navigational\engineering\maths calculations indicates that this salvage operation is going to be a complicated operation,solely from removing this trawler off the beach.the sooner its removed the less the factors are regarding the ammonia\fuel\frozen tuna\ integrity of the entire vessel as it is now

http://URL MT

It’s interesting to note the way the vessel is pointing. If this was an “accident” in fog, the vessel would have been transiting almost parallel to the coast and would have hit at an acute angle. Wave action would have ensured that the vessel remained beam on to the waves.

in this case, the vessel if firmly rammed ashore and the wave action has no effect, which suggests strongly that the vessel was driven at full speed ashore!

http://URL Ciro

All these theories of deliberate grounding, while totally plausible, have to be weighed up against the fact there is 50 tonnes of tuna on board, the reason for this vessels existence. If you were going to run your ship aground on purpose, surely you’d make sure a catch of that size was safe first? All speculation but I feel its an important aspect of the situation.

On salvaging the thing, if the Seli One (wrecked at Blouberg) could be cut up in what is a very exposed area of coastline, and given it is further offshore, surely the trawler could be sold to a scrap merchant as the Seli One was, and cut to bits to be taken away by road. Obviously this would take place after removal of all pollutants.

That’s my totally inexpert opinion, would love to hear from somebody who understands what that would require or why it wouldn’t be suitable.

http://URL FWJ

if the trawler had total engine shutdown,it will not be in its current position on the beach,if the trawler got its prop entangled in netting\nets,its common knowledge that these trawlers use nets illegally,and if found in port they have nets on board,it is bad for business,it still doesn’t,allow the trawler in its present position sandwiched between rocks visible-either side port-starboard-astern,wave action comes into Clifton bay area,it starts wide and funnels inwards,without prop usage,rudder control is reduced by 50% +-it wont allow a trawler this size to sandwich itself between rocks visible on the beach,astern,it will either scrape,knock into rocks,or run aground onto the rocks,based on the tidal currents,at the Clifton bay area, the vessel itself looks in a seaworthy condition,based on the appearance,the Clifton bay area has many submerged rocks out to the seaward side,port-starboard locations,any netting that gets entangled in a prop that size it stops turning totally,if it breaks\bends a prop blade,it can still operate at reduced power\with inherent vibration,engine shutdown failure is bad engine maintenance,it takes time to restart such a trawler engine,getting to the right revs,to get the prop shaft turning for ship propulsion,and getting up to the required speed,it still wouldt allow any time for a vessel this size to run aground on the beach,drifting based on tidal currents,this trawler would have run aground on the rocks entering the Clifton bay area,and not sandwiched in its current position,only a full investigation can determine the facts\circumstances,,it had full generator power as the photos show clearly upon grounding of this trawler its lighting\power was in full working order\and is still operating,the listing appears to have increased,due to the wave action with this trawler,low tide shows it clearly

http://URL FWJ

I find it UN-acceptable that no news\information is being made public as to how authorities\role players in the removal of the vessel from its current position,by addressing the concerns of residents in the Clifton area,as to how they propose to remove this vessel,the vessel is located in a very environmental sensitive area of coastline,and as how any possible pollution threats will be dealt with,surely there is advanced salvage assessments\ place for the removal of this vessel by now,the residents of the Clifton must be informed in a open transparent manner,and address all there concerns.
transferring\removal of fuel from this stranded vessel will be done under the strictest environmental protection regulations\measures,there are a few options it is not for me to explain them\speculate\advise,i am merely providing an insight into possible causes,as ive mentioned here,a thorough investigation must be implemented and the findings of the investigation must be made public and plans\procedures be put in place to prevent any further such incidents,the current maritime laws pertaining to vessels operating\cruising in south African territorial waters must be updated\addressed and amendments with relevant role players\incidents\accidents originating from vessels at sea happen 24-7-,the relevant role players must address the safe operating distance for all pleasure\leisure\commercial\fishing vessels operating off the the south African coast.all vessels in respect of what type\classification\tonnage ,must be subjected to safety at sea inspections whether in port/at sea,and heavy fines must be implemented against operators/owners of vessels,any commercial vessel requiring safe anchorage must be dealt with in a manner of merit based on the emergencies experienced,a deposit payable in advance to the relevant maritime\role players must be paid in advance,before any vessel in respect of classification\tonnage would be given permission for safe anchorage facilities in south African territorial waters,the deposits payable must be for the financing of any salvage\cleanup operations from accidents\incidents\originating from vessels,owners\marine insurers must be held accountable for accidents\incidents originating from vessels operating in south African territorial waters,with the bulk carrier panos earth stranded in false bay if the owners\insurers\chartering companies cant pay,that such vessels either be confiscated\towed beyond south African territorial waters,and sunk to avoid international navigational hazards,the current existing south African maritime laws\regulations seem inadequate to deal with such accidents\incidents where vessels are stranded\dumped in south African territorial waters,the south African coastal patrol\navy\saps water-wing\maritime role players must be authorized by south African maritime legislation to board any vessel and undertake inspections\assessments to determine that all vessels comply with international IMO\maritime law requirements

http://URL FWJ

in the 80s i worked on foreign deep sea trawlers,and gained valuable experience\knowledge of how deep sea trawlers operate\works,i worked with my late uncle who was a marine engineer with over 20 years in international marine engineering\salvage operations i didn’t gain my experience\knowledge sitting in a classroom\university,i was taught from the ground upwards\i am familiar with trawler engine breakdowns at sea\prop-shaft seizures,i was taught by my mentors\teachers\the south Atlantic fishing grounds is a dangerous place on earth to be in,especially when a deep sea trawler has mechanical\engine\shutdowns\breakdowns\you improvise in many situations,i learn t from the people i worked with\i know how deep sea trawlers work\operate\how they are designed\built\what there problems are\what they can handle\can do\cant do\,i work with RF Radio Communications Equipment from27/29mhz- hf communications receivers\transceivers\vhf marine-hf marine\satnav\satcomms\so when i observe ships whether they in port\photos\groundings\gives me an idea of what is fitted\to such vessels.i gained my experience\knowledge in my lifetime,Ive studied it-dealt with it\and have learn t you respect the ocean because if you dont you going to end being a victim of your own ignorance,i dont have all the answers\every marine salvage operation is based on a assessment-and if a operation doesn’t go as planned\then improvise\do another assessment and look at various options based on the circumstances\instances\of a situation\you design\build\fabricate equipment to suit a salvage operation as not 1 salvage operation is standard procedure\practice,there are a host of problems associated with any salvage operations\even deep sea trawler incidents/accidents/breakdowns provide a host of problems that need to be addressed in the shortest time period possible, Ive learn t that from experience\and the valuable knowledge\that goes with it,incidents\accidents happen when you least expect them to happen at sea you have to be prepared to handle an emergency when it happens\and learn from the mistakes made\so that in future it doesn’t happen again,and should an emergency happen you deal with it

http://URL FWJ

the salvage operators normally do an assessment of a vessel to determine various aspects that are involved in salvage operations,the structural integrity of the entire vessel\the location\the severity of the situation\this trawler as noted from my observations\is located in between rocks\port-starboard-astern,which makes this salvage operation complicated,the complications are the 90 tons of diesel fuel\50 tons of frozen tuna,the location of the trawler\a trawler is designed\built for a rated purpose,its not built to be towed\pulled by another vessel\tug from the stern but from the bow,so the salvage operators are adating certain criteria to allow them to exert 80-100 tons of pulling effort to move this trawler,for this to happen they have to improvise\adapt\build\fit\manufacture\a device which will allow them to attempt to remove this trawler,what is against the salvage operators,is the trawlers current position on the sand\beach\the noted visible rocks surrounding this trawler\the not visible criteria below the surface of the sea\the water depth low\high tide\they are attempting to pull a 450 GRT trawler at an acute angle which is counter-effecting movement,meaning its not a straight line pull,its an arkward situation they have,there are a couple of options available to them in improvising the stern section of this trawler that will allow them to attempt the next pulling operation,the more weight you can reduce on this trawler the more suitable it gets to remove it,fuel\cargo\are but a few options ive noted,there are other alternatives\there marine engineers\salvage engineers know by now what can be done and what cant be done,these trawlers on the open sea have there related problems\technical issues\i know what the salvage operators are faced with\the technical issues that need to be addressed\ive been asked what would i do,there are suitable options available that are standard\non standard as each salvage engineer has his own ideas based on his experience\knowledge\in marine salvage operations\the longer it stays where it is,the longer it takes to remove it,Ive dealt with similar situations in my lifetime,Ive dealt with deep sea trawler breakdowns at sea,mechanical,electrical\electronics\i have a mechanical\electronics background,Ive dealt will all types of trawler situations at sea,i know what you can fix\not fix\what can be repaired\not repaired\,Ive learn t from experience its best to let the salvage operators do there work,based on there expertise\experience\knowledge\not interfere\ but praise them in there efforts in such operations,because i can the readers who view these comments,not 1 are the same,you learn from the experience\knowledge you gain from such operations,so that next time you have a similar problem you know how to deal with it,

http://URL FWJ

congratulations to the authorities\salvage operators in the salvage of this vessel,and to http://www.2oceansvibe.com for there coverage of events,